Fugitive Sex Offender Caught in Ballard County

A Florida fugitive was arrested in Ballard County after he was spotted driving recklessly.

About 2:30 pm Wednesday, LaCenter Police Chief Kevin Green got an anonymous tip that someone was driving a Jeep through town recklessly on Highway 60. He spotted the vehicle as it was turning into LaCenter Motel and spoke to a the male driver and female passenger.

The driver did not have identification and initially gave Green a false name and date of birth, but it was later determined that he was James W. Gardner of Florida. The woman, Judith Conkling of Paducah, was the owner of the vehicle, and Garnder's mother.

An NCIC criminal database check revealed that Gardner was wanted by the Lee County Sheriff's Department in Florida. Gardner was listed as a sex offender on felony probation for possession of child pornography and was listed as a violent offender. He admitted to police that he had cut off his ankle monitor, fled the Fort Myers area, and had been hiding out in Kentucky with his mom for the last 2-3 weeks.

Gardner was arrested for giving a false name, driving without a license, and on the out-of-state warrant. He was taken to Ballard County Detention Center until he can be extradited back to Florida.

Conkling was cited for expired registration on the Jeep and was released.